Bobcats are predators but that does not mean they have no enemies. One of the reasons bobcats are nervous around people is because they have the role of prey as well as hunter. At 2 to 3 feet long, bobcats are small enough to be threatened by other carnivores such as coyotes. Bobcat kittens in particular are a potential prey item for many predators. Because of the threats bobcats face, the maximum age in the wild is about 12 years and the average is about 6. In captivity, with no threats, a bobcat can live to 30 years or more.

Hawks, eagles and owls all can and will take bobcat kittens or juveniles. Mothers stay with their kittens until their offspring can fend for themselves. However, there are times when an opportunistic hawk could catch a bobcat kitten. Birds of prey are not a significant danger to bobcats but are a possible threat.

Other carnivores including coyotes, fishers, cougars, wolves and lynx, are dangerous to bobcats, especially their kittens. They also compete with bobcats, and when food is scarce, the bobcats may go without. Juvenile mortality is directly linked to the food supply, and in times of food shortage many bobcat kittens die. Porcupines are a prey animal but can cause damage to the bobcats with poisonous spines.

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are animals in the cat (Felidae) family. Bobcats live across North America from northern Mexico to Canada.

They can be found living in forests, swamplands, deserts, scrublands and human inhabited areas. Bobcats are stealthy, nocturnal creatures, so humans rarely see them.